Till We Meet Again
by JustWannaSleep
Summary: Written in an AU World, Yata Misaki decides to take a breather from his New Year's duties as heir to the Monkey Clan, one of the great 12 Zodiac Clans, to hang out with his friends. There he meets someone he never thought he'd see again. Sarumi. Slash. MxM. Slight OOC-tendencies. One-Shot. Written for a contest x)


Hello! It's been a long time since I came back here. x) I wrote this for a New Year's Contest with this community I am in. If you would like a link to the contest just ask otherwise please enjoy~!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own anything regarding to K franchise. This is purely fanmade and for fun only.

 **Part 1**

The breeze blows into the direction of the ocean. I stand, facing the same ocean above a cliff, breathing in fresh smell. The sun touches the horizon with its warmth and paints an orange and purple hue across the sky and sea, much like he did me. I close my eyes and reminisce about him. I can still picture him clearly. His talkative nature over mundane things. His messy orange hair covered with a beanie. Those starry eyes brimming with energy. That goofy grin.

I lived my life with passing days based on routine. I wake up. Eat. Work my shift as a patrol guard. Go back home to the dorms. Eat again. Sleep. Repeat. Every day was bland. On the occasion, I would be assigned to combat or recon missions against rebels or Strains that roamed the districts. That was the only excitement where I was stationed. Then one day, I was assigned as a bodyguard to a member of the Clan, who is in charge of the region I'm in, on a journey to the Capital. I laughed at the irony of it all. My captain warned me that he would have someone watch me and that this was simply a job. I knew he was testing me.

Just a job. I no longer care about those people anymore. That's how I took it. Professional. And it was there, I met him.

He was but a young naïve boy, curious about the world, three years younger than me, and because he was chained by his duties he thirsted for adventure. I was drawn to him. As if laying eyes on him was the catalyst, my blood boiled upon contact, an awakening of a sort. Something deep within me echoed and trembled with excitement. But I knew better and killed such thoughts. No one wanted anything to do with me. Relationships with other people were only a hassle. Not only that, he was from a Clan in a different region. Clan members from the other districts are forbidden to meet each other unless the King is present. These Clans are under an oath of blood binding tied directly to the King and cannot disobey without permission. They are known as the Zodiac and I am part of that Zodiac.

I reluctantly gave in to his interest in me. He was an interesting pass time while I was there. We became friends much to his persistence during our time at the Capital. Apparently, he was accompanying his father. We exchanged contacts, and he messaged me daily about the things he did as well as bombard me with questions about my region and life. I figured he would lose interest eventually, but he didn't. Even now, I fail to realize what he was so awestruck about someone like me. Slowly, I warmed up to him and came to love him, this boy who wanted to know me, wanted to befriend me, and then, fell in love with me.

I didn't know how to respond to his feelings at first. They overwhelmed me so much that I felt like I couldn't breathe. Like I was suffocating in his bright light that threatened my entire existence. Threatened to pull me out from the comfort of my darkness. The me who had never breathe such pure air before in an unknown world was frightened. My heart ached and everything just hurt. As if it was fate, we would both be present and meet in the Capital or during New Year and sometimes, I could feel the heated gaze he directed towards me. I was afraid. No one loved me. How can he love me? I was unlovable. It didn't matter to anyone, to me, whether I lived or died. Even more so, I wasn't even meant to be alive. An unfortunate sacrifice needed for fulfilling one purpose then abandoned. But here was this boy. Who knew nothing. And he professed to loving me. Yet, somehow, as if his love for me wasn't a miracle enough, he wiped away my fears and worries. I didn't know then if that was love or not. I just knew I needed him. Wanted him. This boy.

"Wait a little longer." I smile bitterly.

 **Part 2**

"Misaki!" Mother calls loudly from upstairs. "Didn't I tell you to clean your room? What's with all this mess?"

I finish packing my items into my pocket and ignore her prattle as she continues lecturing me about cleaning my room for the upcoming events. Soon, it will be the end of the year of the Monkey and the Rooster will take over. My family is in charge of organizing the festivities to end the year because we belong to the Monkey Clan. That's right. Monkey. Clan.

For generations, my family has been chosen by the King to be in charge of the Monkey Clan. Every year, a Clan is in charged with the task of the New Year celebrations, which depends on the current year and Clan they are from. My family has secured not only the position 'Spirit of the Monkey' but also the head family since forever, or so I've been told. The head family of the Clan can change at any time by the will of the King. Besides the Monkey Clan, there are eleven other Clans: the Dragon, Dog, Snake, Rat, Ox, Sheep, Rooster, Tiger, Rabbit, Horse, and Pig. Together, we are the guardians known as the Zodiac. In other words, we're the extremist supporters and loyal servants.

Each Clan is in charge of keeping order of the twelve districts in the Kingdom: Scepter 4, Timeless Palace, Mihashira Tower, Homra, Ashinaka Academy, Colorless, Jungle, White Rice Party, Shizume City, Cathedral, Aura, and Dresden Slate. Scepter 4 is where the King resides along with the Rat Clan. The Rat Clan is unique from the rest of the Clans, made up of people who were once from another Clan, thus labelled as the King's personal guards and advisers. My Clan is stationed at Homra. As guardians, we are given special privileges and treatment, even more so for the head family of the Clan. The Clans also have 'powers' bestowed upon them. The Rat Clan members are foremost and initially still part of their previous Clans and holds the highest position of all the Zodiac.

The King made it a rule that all the different Clans must never meet outside of the New Year festivities, which also meant that we must never leave our stations without permission from the King. We are also forbidden to meet in order to prevent alliance among the Clans, power struggles, and other internal conflicts. The borders of each region are strictly guarded and only Messengers can freely travel from region to region. It is only once a year when we end and begin a year that we all meet.

"Misaki! Are you listening to me!?" Mother screeches as she comes down the stairs. Hearing her steps, I casually seat myself on the arm of the couch in the living room.

"Yes, yes. I'll clean my room later." I answer to satisfy her with a smile on my face. Of course, this doesn't satisfy her.

"You're not even listening. The King and everyone will be arriving in two days' time. Look, this time of year…" I tune her out as she begins lecturing once again about the importance of the feast and how we must not shame ourselves in front of the Zodiac and King. I fail to understand why cleaning my room is of utmost importance and how it will drastically affect the festival. Nevertheless, I reply with an agreeing nod.

"Okay. I promise. But first, I need to go out. See you later Mom." I give her a light kiss on the cheek and run out the door before she can stop me.

"Misaki!" I hear her scream.

 **XXX**

"Hahahaha…" Rikio, my best friend, laughs when I told him what happened. "Yata, your mom is gonna fry you when you go back. You're too carefree about this."

I reply with a shrug, and we continue on walking down the path into the marketplace. Rikio is from the same Clan as me, although we are not related. The Clan does not have to consist of blood relations but rather different families chosen every twelve years. It is a great honor when your family becomes chosen as a candidate or is selected to become additional members. I can understand why people causes a commotion over this because I, too, once shared these beliefs to the core of my very being, taking great pride in it. Now, it's nothing but shackles.

We make our way to the Entertainment Center to meet up with our other group of friends. The Entertainment Center is a ginormous arena similar to a mall. It varies from having batting cages and other sports fields, arcade games and PC rooms to karaoke, photo booths, and a library or study hall. We agreed beforehand to meet in the Food Court before venturing elsewhere within. Even though the festivities are only three short days away, I didn't see why I can't relax before the big event. Whenever I was at home or in the residence of the Clan, the talk of the preparations for the New Year was everywhere, overwhelming me. Rikio is lucky since his family is more lenient towards how he spends his time because he is the third child and second son, whereas I'm the only child.

"Ooooh look it's the great elite Mi~sa~ki~!" A voice calls out as we enter the plaza of the Entertainment Center. "Are you sure you should be playing hooky at this time of the year?"

The owner of the voice is none other than Sukuna, with his groupies close behind. No one but him calls me by my given name because everyone knows how much I hate my feminine name. I hate it even more when Sukuna calls me in that tone because it reminded me of him. Sukuna always has a problem with me because of my status. In the past, his family held the position my family has now. According to them, my family cheated. There's been a bitter rivalry between my family and his since and he carries this tradition through every time we meet.

I grumble in distaste at how unfortunate my luck has been this year. and now I bump into this bastard.

"Shove off Sukuna." Rikio quickly comes to my defense. We ignore him and continue our way, but he blocks our path when we shifted directions.

"Where are you going in a hurry, Misaki? Getting your pet dog to talk for you? Is Mr. Elite Guardian too good to even greet a lowly commoner like me?" Sukuna continues, attempting to provoke a reaction out of me. Fortune is on his side because it does. I have never liked my status in the first place, and people like him reminding me of my position annoys me to no end.

"What Sukuna? Did you want my attention so badly? Well, you got it." I say staring him down smirking. Despite my short stature, he is even more so. "Oh. Did you want me to acknowledge your pathetic existence? Or permission to kiss the ground I walk on? Which is it?" While I know it is best to ignore these taunts, I am not this virtuous person who is beneath childish insults. It already irks me to no end when he calls me by my first name. That in itself is his first offense.

"Yata…." Rikio starts, gently placing a hand on my shoulder to calm me. He knows my temper and how out of hand things can quickly get once I see red. "He's not worth it man."

"…" Sukuna is speechless for a moment, unable to reply and red-faced at my words. He recovers quickly and shouts, "Ha! You think you're so good just because your family is chosen!" His raised voice arouses an audience, and the slowly building headache I currently have grows each time he speaks. "Are you too high above the clouds that we lowly commoners aren't worthy of your time? Careful everyone! We must not get in his way or who knows what will happen if we offend Misaki of the Monkey Clan!"

"You attention-seeking son of a…" Just as I am about to leap off my feet and charge towards Sukuna, someone jumps in-between us, tripping him backward in the process with the tip of his sheathed sword in hand. I stare at the back of this person. He is bigger than me and his build looks sturdy in a slim way. My eyes widen in disbelief.

He's…!

"Know your place filth. He is from the head family. Are you asking for death that badly? Do you truly not know what a great offense this is? Moreover, a direct threat? To the King? Don't involve others in your sick fantasies." The stranger says coldly, interrupting my train of thought.

"Ugh…" Sukuna groans with pain glaring up at the stranger before directing it at me. "Don't think this is over Misaki." He says it so quietly with bitterness and anger that no one but me and Rikio hears it. He gets up and walks away with his friends following behind. The group that has gathered around us starts whispering.

"That's Yata Misaki? The only son of the head family?"

"What an idiot going against a member of the Clan!"

"How dare that guy go against a guardian?"

Everything is but background noise as I stare at the back of this man in front of me. Even though he hasn't turned around once, even though that hairstyle is unfamiliar, even though I haven't seen him or heard his voice since one and a half years ago, even though there's no logical explanation that he can be here, even though…I recognize him. It has to be him!

"Rikio! Yata!"

My five other friends come running through the dispersing crowd, probably from hearing all the commotion. As soon as they come by our side, they bombard us with chatter.

"I saw that midg- dick Sukuna."

"You guys okay?"

"Of course they're okay. It's Yata."

"Yeah~! How many time has that idiot challenged Yata just to get his ass handed to him?" They laugh.

I take my eyes off him for a few seconds and laugh with them. When I look back to where he was standing, he was no longer there.

"Dammit!" I curse and run straight ahead, taking a guess where he might have disappeared off to.

"Yata!?" I hear Rikio call.

"Sorry! Don't wait for me!" I yell back and continue running.

"Yata!" I hear the rest of my friends call once more, but I don't look at them. Not this time.

 **XXX**

Everywhere I look, he is nowhere to be found. I stop to catch my breath, the aching fire in my throat and prickly stings from my leg muscles protest and make known the limitations of my body, causing me regret about my lack of stamina. I cannot even 'sense' him with my 'power' which makes me feel even more ashamed. Even as I loathed this 'power' running in my veins, I depend on it so much since birth that I become useless without it.

Did I wish so much for that man to be him that I projected an illusion? I laugh bitterly to my pathetic self, distancing my thoughts from the ache in my chest. Of course, there is no way that could have been him. He wouldn't have ignored me like that. Regardless of his position, he is still from a different Clan. Without permission, there's no way he can freely venture into another region. I try to voice reason and logic, but my heart has other plans for me, keeping this hopeless hope alive. I'm an idiot. Idiot, idiot, idiot!

My pocket vibrates with the help from my PDA device. Another excessively long and worried message from Rikio. I guess I will start heading back.

I met him six years ago when I was twelve. I accompanied my father to Scepter 4 that year due to a summon from the King, and we stayed there for a month. We were housed with a different Clan. When I laid eyes on him, a strange electric pulse of some sort jolted inside my body. I later learned that this was a rare 'reaction' caused by the compatibility people of a Clan have with another Clan. He was, is, from the Dragon Clan, and they are said to have a high compatibility rate with those from the Monkey Clan. He had a pretty but super unfriendly face and he carried around this broody aura. I was curious about him because he was always alone. I was also just about the only youth there and was bored and lonely. He was not like any of the kids I knew. Different. Even within his own Clan.

During the first few days, my legs chased after him every day until he gave up and accepted my presence. I learned that he is three years older, has seven siblings, is the third eldest, and born in the fifth month. We became good friends after much pestering and one-sided conversations on my part. I forced him to go sight-seeing with me in Scepter 4, as it was my first time to ever leave Homra and every hero on an adventure needed his trusty sidekick. He worked as a patrol guard, and was currently a hired bodyguard but was free of his duties in the evening to hang out with me. We exchanged PDA information so we could stay in contact even after parting. Slowly, he opened up to my persistence. I was simply fascinated by his adventures he would tell me whenever I asked. He would always act annoyed and irritated about my constant chatter, but I knew he was intently listening. I later learned most of my fellow peers had found this trait of mine annoying but never said it to my face because of my status. But, he was different. Naive as I was, I quickly fell in love with him in the two years we chatted over our PDA, and he accepted my feelings.

It was difficult at first because we weren't even sure what would change, not to mention the distance and restriction. Everything eventually came into place, and we took every opportunity we had to spend time together. We were together for a little over two years, but then he stopped contacting me altogether. When I went with my father to Scepter 4 this past year, he wasn't there. I asked the Dragon Clan who I met there, but they either knew nothing or hadn't bothered to hear any news of him. They were even more curious why someone from the head family of a Clan wanted to know about a 'defect' like him.

He never got along with his family or his Clan. When he was born, the one who raised him was a hired outsider of the Clan to take care of him. When he was old enough, his family sent him away to be a faraway village where he eventually became a patrol guard. He told me he was regarded as bad luck, which is stupid. Numbers are just numbers. Beliefs in these superstitions no longer exist in my Clan, but his Clan still clung to the old traditions. I can still remember the bitter smile on his face. His dream was to be free from his shackles, and he always jokingly told me one day he was going to run away. I wonder if he did just that.

The road opens into a clear view of the huge residence of the Clan, reminding me of Rikio. I quickly send a message to him that I was home, even though I technically wasn't there just yet. An eerie feeling suddenly washes over me as I became high on alert. I was so lost in thought that I almost failed to hear the oncoming footsteps.

"Mi~sa~ki~."

I quickly turn around and…and…

There he stands.

I feel a lump in my throat. My mouth dries up as it opens and closes with no sounds coming out. My eyes start to sting and feel warm. Tears fall. I cry and cry. I want to move. I want to run to him, but my legs refuse to listen. I just stay frozen in place. Please.

Please.

I'm begging.

Don't let this be a dream.

"Misaki." He's front of me now. Despite the blurry vision, I can make out some small details strikingly clear. That uniform. That sword at his hips. That arrogant smirk on his face. This wipes away the uncontrollable sadness and shock I previously had, and I become angry. I want to punch him. How dare he smile? My brows furrow inwards as he reaches a hand over to wipe the remaining tears. I slap it away.

"You…!" I can't even finish because he pulls me into an embrace and I lose my train of thought.

"Misaki." He calls my name. "Misaki. My Misaki." He repeats, saying my name over and over again, as if it was air itself, causing me to blush at just how loving he says it. My face press against his chest and I can't help snuggling in closer. I hear the thudding beat of his heart. This voice. This warmth. It's been so long. "Misaki." He says again one last time. "I missed you."

"You b-bastard." I say timidly, pushing him with no effort. He's so unfair. There are so many questions I want to ask, have to ask, deserve answers to. Instead, I pull his neck down and mesh our lips together, feeling his glasses bump slightly against my brow. He doesn't respond right away, probably taken by surprise. I feel his lips spread into a smile and I let go, feeling embarrassed at my actions.

"Why, I didn't know you missed me this much." He teases, a playful grin decorating his beautiful annoying face.

I ignore his comment and finally find my voice again. Brimming with more assurance, I press, "What happened to you? Where did you go? Why didn't you contact me? What's with that uniform? Tell me…" I trail off seeing that he isn't bothering to give me his attention to these questions. He just continues grinning, staring and just as I'm about to retort and tell him to wipe that smug off his face, he grabs my hand, leading us back into town.

"Wha-…w-wait!" I try to stop him but he doesn't slow down and picks up the pace even faster. "Oi! Where are we going!?"

 **XXX**

My mind is a mess. I cannot even remember clearly how we got here in this room but we are. One minute we are entering an inn, and the next he is pulling me into an unlit room. We're still at the front entrance, my back against the wall, and he's unzipping my sweater, pulling off my shirt, making me shiver as the air caresses my upper body.

"Hold on a second!" I say, embarrassed at being exposed because it's been so long since he last saw me naked. I push him away holding him back with my hands against his chest. I feel his eyes staring at me hard. I still have more to say, more to ask, but then he removes my hands, entwining them with his and pushes me back to the wall again, shutting me up with a bruising kiss.

I resist at first but quickly give in as he thrusts his tongue pass my lips. I hungrily respond back discarding any thoughts I held previously. Our tongues dance, searching, confirming if our feelings remained the same. I force my way into his mouth in which he easily complied. It's been so long. So long since I tasted him, exploring the cavern. Gushing waves of feelings washes over me that hot tears form again through the kiss, and it's hard to breathe. He pulls back to nibble my lower lip before finishing with a lick. He chuckles at my tearful face and wipes away the stream.

Our lips meet again with more vigor. I can't think. I try to make sense that now is not the right time for this but all logic is already thrown out the window. I can't think and I can't think. So I don't. I let go and just feel. Feel him against me and me against him. Feel our lips meet together again and again. Our bodies molding together, grinding against each other. We kiss and kiss and kiss some more. I can't get enough. This isn't enough to satisfy my insatiable hunger.

He leaves my lips and attack my neck nipping and leaving butterfly kisses.

"W-wait. D-don't…ah!" I moan as he bites between my collarbone and left shoulder. With his tongue, he laps the area gently. I notice the growing bulge in his pants as it presses shamelessly against the similar picture painted on me. "M-more." I gasp, panting. "Ah. Nngh…hah."

I feel his lips twitch into a smirk against my skin, the arrogant bastard probably pleased at how much he is affecting me. He lets my hands go, trailing his hands down my chest to my stomach, making me squirm at the unfamiliar touch. He rubs our clothed half-erect dicks together by bringing my hips to his, causing me to jolt with tingling electric pulses running wild within me. He opens our trousers and takes out our erections. I hiss at being exposed as the cold surrounds my nether regions but quickly welcome the pleasurable sensations that continue throbbing through my body as his warm flesh meets mine. Heat rises to my face as I compare his size to mine, clearly not remembering him like this.

He slides his hard on against mine. With one hand, he takes my right hand down and plays with our heads, slicking my already leaking pre-cum to his, while his other hand caresses my balls in teasing circular motions and squeezes. This ecstasy has become foreign to me, making me weak in the knees. It's taking all of my strength to not fall so I lay my free hand on his shoulder, clutching tightly to balance myself.

"Fuck. Misaki. Hah…Misaki." His breathing is just as uneven as mine as he calls my name. "Misaki. I…" He murmurs so low that it's almost inaudible if I did not have my gifts. "Misaki." I close my eyes to relish the moment as I feel my breath hitch and my chest tighten as the warmth spreads throughout my body.

"M-me too." I gasp, squeezing his shoulder in response.

Using both of his hands to clasp around mine and tighten the grip around our erections, he rubs them together with more pressure, causing more friction. I gasp as the movements of our hands speed up, gliding up and down. I feel my toes curling and the pit of my stomach crawls in circles.

"I…I…" I try to make out words with much difficulty. "I'm….c-coming. I'm…!"

He pumps faster and whispers hotly in my ear, "Then come," proceeding to nibble on it.

"Ah…ah…S-saru!" I cry out and shudder against him as I climax into our hands. He uses my hand and thrusts a few more times before following me after. I lay my head against his chest, feeling slightly weak from all that running earlier and our recent activities. Our clothes and hands are dirtied with semen.

"O-oi!" Before I knew it, he picks me up and moves further into the room. "Wh-what are you doing!? Put me down! Stupid Saru!" I squirm in his hold, futile as it is. At some point along the way, he manages to turn on the lights. Finally able to make out of my surroundings, I note the room to be small with a full-size bed in the middle, decorated with two drawers at its side. Across the bed, a small table sits adorned with a pair of seat cushions and some potted plants hung outside the balcony.

He carries me into the bathroom and sets me on the sink. He washes his hands and takes off his outer layers of clothes ruined from earlier and throws them into the basket nearby. "Clean up." He says, handing me a towel and walks out. I do as he says with much annoyance written on my face. I don't understand what his problem is, the moody bastard. He was so… affectionate earlier. Why did I fall for such a guy? I must have been delusional. And desperate. That explains it.

He comes back in with a change of clothes and a fresh set for me in hand. I attempt to ignore his silent stare as I strip bare in front of him and proceeded to put them on. I stare in the mirror at the love bite he left on my shoulder, poking the red area with an exasperated sigh. At least it isn't in a visible area. Remembering I am being watched, I turn to look at him, flushed.

"It looks good on you." He comments about the hickey, smirking. I eye-roll at his comment and finish dressing up.

"Fushimi Saruhiko." I whisper his full name, dripping with determination for answers this time, instead of calling him by his nickname.

"I know." He replies, an unreadable expression falling on his face. "And I…I…" He closes his eyes and continues, "I'm sorry."

Truth be told, I already guessed what had happened to him, seeing that royal blue uniform. He joined the Rat Clan. Nevertheless, I wanted to hear it from his own mouth about why he chose not to tell me and why he didn't contact me. This man who caused me so much heartache over these past years, I mourned over him. And all of it dissipates like nothing. Because it doesn't matter. None of it matters anymore. I haven't fully forgiven him, but he's right here. Right in front of me. He came back to me.

"It's not a dream. You're not a dream." I whisper, standing before him. His eyes close as my hands reach over to touch his face. I remove his glasses and resume feeling his brows, his eyes, his nose, his cheeks, his lips. I grab his neck to kiss him and this time it's slow and sensual. We separate and he leads me out of the bathroom.

He sits on top of the bed and lays on his back. Suddenly feeling awkward, I grab one of the seat cushions and sit on the floor by the bed. Saru begins explaining how he was approached by Munakata Reisi, the commander of the royal guards, and joined the Rat Clan. He had to decide fast because Munakata was only going to be in Jungle for one night. Afterward, he tells of the things that happened, the training he went through and how his PDA was taken away during the training camp. He apologizes once more for worrying me.

"Aren't you a cocky bastard? Strutting in here thinking I will take you back. What if I had a girlfriend?" I tease, wanting to see him stirred up but mostly out of annoyance at how easy he was getting off from me.

"Pfft…Ahahaha!" He laughs so hard he's clinging his stomach. "Ahaha, ah Misaki, nice joke. Unless you're telling me you got over your fear of girls." An arrogant smug spread across his face, and my face flush hot at the truth of his words. "Besides, seeing how you kissed me when you saw me, I figured you forgave me."

"Shut up! I wanted to punch you, you know!" I pout, my tactic working against me. He continues laughing for a while before calming down.

"I like this hue of your hair, so vibrant and warm." He reaches his hand over to comb through my hair. "As always you stuck out like a sore thumb." He chuckles.

I laugh, realizing he is referring to the incident at the plaza, and retort, "Speak for yourself. What's with that weird hairstyle? Stop trying to act cool." We laugh. It feels good to be like this again. I stare at him, taking in this smile of his. He had a rough time smiling before and always had a sullen expression planted on his face. It is strange to see him being happy for this long before he goes back into his bored look. It must be because we're seeing each other again after all this time. It dawns on me Saru is here earlier than planned so I ask, "How are you here? You guys aren't supposed to arrive yet."

"I requested to come ahead of time so I could meet you. I know you won't have time when it's New Year's Eve." I turn my head and look at him strangely. Something is off; why did I not notice it before? He was never the cooperative and talkative type and liked to resist before stubbornly giving in. I thought nothing of his odd behavior. It may have been because of how much his disappearance had hurt me and he was trying to make up for it somehow. "There's something important I need to tell you." I did not like the tone of his voice. "About us."

"I don't want to hear it." I avert my eyes from his solemn gaze as he emphasizes "us".

He continues as if I never spoke. As always, he never really abides my requests. "Munakata-san knows about us."

"Shut up. Shut up Saru!" I shout, standing up now. He stands up as well, facing me. I see his expression molding into something ugly, something unknown to me, with each word he spoke.

"He says our relationship is considered a jeopardy to the Kingdom…"

"For once in your life just obediently listen to me!" I cry in anguish.

"…It counts as an alliance between…"

"Saruhiko I said shut up!" I cover my ears with my hands and continue yelling. "Shut the hell up!"

"…so we can't be together…" He finishes. I can't recognize him.

It's...

It's over.

It's over. It's really, really over. I punch him in the face, and he staggers backward but doesn't fall. However, the impact causes his glasses to fall on the floor. "You should've never shown yourself to me at all you selfish bastard! I would've been fine believing you were dead or something!" I want to cry but this time, this time I don't. I hold them back. I won't allow him to see me like this. Weak and pathetic. "How can you tell me this? After that! After ALL of that! You inconsiderate prick! Explain this to me!" I stretch the shirt, showing the glaringly ugly red hickey. I grab his collar and continue in anger, "How can you betray me like this?"

"I just wanted to make some memorable moments with you before I end this relationship for good that's all." He says shoving me off and bending down to grab his glasses. "You had fun too right, Mi~sa~ki? You weren't complaining earlier." My body trembles in disgust as he speaks my name and I start feeling a little nauseous. "Don't be a bad sport. You didn't possibly believe a relationship like ours in a situation like this could last? How adorable. Well, I must thank you. Munakata-san took an interest in me because of this little pass time."

Pass time? I was a pass time?

"…I'm now in a higher position than I ever was before. Isn't it hilarious? This bad luck of mine is actually quite the opposite…" He laughs maniacally. I glare at him and aim my fist at him once more only this time, he catches it.

"I'm only allowing you to hit me once, Misaki. As a token of gratitude. Don't think you can do it again." I roughly take back my hand and walks towards the entrance.

"Where are you off to Mi~sa~ki~? Let's have some more fun one last time." Saruhiko suggests after me.

"I can't stand this stench any longer so fuck off." Without turning back even once, I leave the room, slamming the door on my way out. When I reach outside, I lurch to the nearest bush and vomit.

 **XXX**

Three days passes by in a flash and not once did I cry because I won't cry for him again. It's finally New Year's Eve and I haven't seen Saruhiko since that night. I was so busy I didn't even have time to think about him and what he had said about...

The residence is adorned with decorations. The gate of each court has a pine tree or bamboo décor situated at each side. Red lanterns and other red ornaments grace the entire establishment. My current job is to greet the incoming guests at the front and hand them the map into the residence of the Monkey Clan. The King and the heads arrived earlier and were directed into the inner court of the residence where performances and the banquet will be held. Many booths have been arranged throughout the entire residence to entertain the rests of the guests. It's buzzing with noise and life. I leave my station and head on to my next task, which is to check on the setup of the fireworks. After checking on the fireworks, I make my way to my next location. The residence is flooded with people and I have to squeeze my way through.

"Fushimi!"

I freeze in my spot as I hear his name. I face the direction of the voice to see the man I recognized to be Munakata Reisi accompanied by his lieutenant, Awashima Seri. I follow their gaze and see Saruhiko walk towards them. The sting in my heart awakens, spreading like a disease, upon seeing him. Without thinking, I follow them and tune in on their conversation.

"What hole did you crawl out from Fushimi? You look terrible. I give you 3 days off and you come back looking like this." Commander Munakata blatantly points out. "It's a good thing I called you out."

"That's a rude thing to say, sir." Lieutenant Awashima says.

"Tsk. I don't want to hear this from you Munakata-san." Saruhiko scoffs.

"Does that mean you finished your personal business?" The commander presses, turning his face towards Saruhiko with a grin plastered on his face. Wait a minute. Personal business? They are not talking about me, are they?

"That's a rude thing to ask, sir." Awashima chimes in again, shaking her head.

"It's best this way. You won't be indirectly violating the blood oath and he will continue his line as the heir to the Monkey Clan. He has been destined out of your reach the moment you were both born into different Clans." Munakata explains, before grinning once again. "He must hate you for choosing this over him." They are talking about me! That can only be it since Saruhiko came three days in advance! As far as I know, Saruhiko has never been close to anyone else.

"I don't mind if he hates me. Better he hates me. He won't forget me and my existence will only grow larger within him then." Saruhiko answers in annoyance.

"That sounds like a confession, Fushimi." Munakata teases mercilessly. It surprises me how much of a devil the commander was to his subordinate. I almost feel sorry for Saruhiko because he is not the type to get easily stirred up.

It's not like I wanted to in the first place! But knowing him, he would eventually move on without me. Forget me. So even if I can just remain within him, even if it's just a little. Even though I no longer deserve the right to be beside him. When he's everything to me! I still l…" Saruhiko stops speaking for a few seconds. From behind I can see a tint of pink on his ears as he finds his voice, "Leave me alone about this matter. It's over with now."

Munakata chuckles and seems to agree as he changes the topic. My feet stop following, my face feeling hot from what I just heard. They were talking about me, us. No way. Saruhiko what? No way. My ears must be deceiving me. Not many people were able to make him blush; even I was only able to manage such a feat three times. His pale white skin makes it easy to spot so I know what I saw. He wanted me to hate him? He was lying? I touch the mark he left on me. He told me he l…lo…I shake my head holding that thought.

"Saru." I murmur his name. I have to do something. I have to somehow fix this. I'm not intelligent like Saru so nothing comes to mind. I know if I go after him now, he will only reject me. That is the kind of person Saru is.

"Yata!" I turn around to see Rikio. "What are you doing dazed here? When you went missing, your mom threw a nervous fit. We tried contacting your PDA but you didn't answer. I had to cover your shifts, you know."

"Sorry." I mumble, grateful that the festival will not be a disaster because of me.

"It's fine no big deal. Anyway, you won't believe who I bumped into earlier. Sukuna!" Rikio laughs.

"Sukuna?" I echo the unfamiliar name on my tongue.

"Yeah! I can't believe he had the nerve to show up here after all the crap he is always pulling." Sukuna! An idea slowly starts forming. I can fix this.

"Where did you bumped into Sukuna?" I ask, grabbing him by the arm.

"What's wrong Yata?" Rikio asks back, startled by my roughness.

"Just tell me where you saw him," I demand, my patience wearing thin.

"I bumped into them back there at the first crossroad. They looked like they were heading outside towards the riverbank…" Rikio trails off unsure if he should have told me this or not. "What do you need with him? I thought you of all people would like to avoid him."

"Don't worry about it. Thanks Rikio and sorry." I apologize, knowing how rude I was to him just a few seconds ago.

"Where are you going? The fireworks will start in about five minutes or less now! Everyone is waiting at the headquarters."

I smile bitterly, "I don't care about that. Tell the others I'm sorry. Have fun. Go on, hurry! Or you'll miss out!" He reluctantly agrees and waves me goodbye.

I head towards the direction Rikio told me and sure enough, I find Sukuna and his friends residing by the creek. An explosion is heard, signaling the beginning of the fireworks and the beginning of the new year.

"Sukuna. Let's talk. Alone." I say as I approach Sukuna and his group.

"Thanks for ruining my first day of the new year. The hell you want." Sukuna scoffs, with his cronies close at his side when they saw me.

"If you want to know how to redeem your family's honor, you'll come with me, idiot." I retort back, crossing my arms. This catches his interest and he looks up at me, intrigued.

"I don't want to be told that by an idiot." He follows me anyway and signals his friends to stay behind. If he cooperates, my plan will work. Please forgive the selfish me, Mom, Dad.

 **XXX**

Everyone left two days after New Year's. I ended up not seeing Saru afterward, nor did I see him off as he parted. I have not forgiven him and he deserves a good beat up from me for causing such a mess, but I feel like I am starting to understand his actions better now. I don't know why but I can't let him go. Just that since our first meeting, I knew he was special to me. I know I'm an idiot. Thus I can only do idiotic things.

I am wide awake and decide to head out for a short ride on my skateboard. It's still slightly dark and early as the sun has only begun to crawl over the horizon, staining the darkness with warm orange pink shades. To my right, sprinkled morning dew adorned the wide field into shimmering lights as the sun blesses the dew with its rays. Everything is being set into motion, and I smile as the sun takes each startling step higher into the sky. I close my eyes and take a huge breath of air.

"If you can't come to me Saru, I'll just have to come to you."

 _fin._

A/N: Well that's all x). Hope you enjoyed it! If you have any questions, please ask away. Also, I know some of the stuff I put is somewhat confusing because I probably didn't explain it properly and clearly and you may not be familiar with the Chinese Zodiac etc. While I didn't do extensive research about the Chinese Zodiac, I still dug up some basic information to add to my story. Review if you like~!


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